Science teacher says his students believe the Earth is flat thanks to Kyrie Irving

Charles Barkley famously said in a Nike commercial, "I am not a role model. I am not paid to be a role model. I am paid to wreak havoc on the basketball court. Parents should be role models. Just because I dunk a basketball doesn't mean I should raise your kids."

He's right. Just because he's a basketball player doesn't mean he should be looked up to. Kids don't need to replicated his actions or his beliefs just because he's good at grabbing rebounds. But that's not always the case.

Whether it's right or not, basketball players have an impact on children. That's why the league emphasizes professionalism at all times, and hands out suspensions or fines when players act out. But there's a grey area, as we saw earlier this year with Kyrie Irving.

During All-Star week, the title-winning point guard said on a podcast that "the Earth is flat," a theory that has been proven false, but has gained popularity lately.

His comments were mocked by journalists and NBA fans because it's a stupid theory. But beyond the jokes, his comments were actually harmful because kids who listen to him are likely to believe him. And according to an NPR article, that's exactly what happened.

In a story headlined, "The Ongoing Battle Between Science Teachers And Fake News," NPR's Avi Wolfman-Arent spoke to a science teacher who said Irving's comments have made his kids believe in the flat Earth theory.

She tells her students — like Nick Gurol, whose middle-schoolers believe the Earth is flat — that, as hard as they try, science teachers aren't likely to change a student's misconceptions just by correcting them.

Gurol says his students got the idea of a flat planet from basketball star Kyrie Irving, who said as much on a podcast.

"And immediately I start to panic. How have I failed these kids so badly they think the Earth is flat just because a basketball player says it?" He says he tried reasoning with the students and showed them a video. Nothing worked.

"They think that I'm part of this larger conspiracy of being a round-Earther. That's definitely hard for me because it feels like science isn't real to them."

Irving was actually pressed on this issue during All-Star week when a USA Today reporter said his words could have an impact on his "millions of fans." Irving dismissed him by saying his beliefs shouldn't matter with everything else going on in the world.

Even though Irving believes his thoughts shouldn't matter, he should see now that they actually have an impact. Maybe some of the kids will educate themselves and realize the flat Earth theory is dumb, but others just take Irving's comments at face value and don't feel the need to look into more. And that's a scary thought.

Barkley was right, NBA players are not, and should not be role models. But as long as kids are going to continue to idolize them, they need to be careful about what they say and do.